Tenon Architecture Creates Spectacular Wooden Cave for Greek Resort

Throughout human existence, caves have acted as a form of refuge. While we now have comfortable abodes in cities, towns, suburbs, and the countryside, that doesn’t mean we have distanced ourselves too far from the idea that a home should be a restful haven.

This hand-crafted spruce timber cave at the Hyades Mountain Resort in Trikala Corinthias, Southern Greece, is all about getting back to that idea of refuge. Positioned on the steep slopes of Mount Ziria, it’s a seamless blend of shelter, leisure, and hospitality.

The 55-square-meter wooden cave is the brainchild of architects Thanos Zervos and Apostolos Mitropoulos of Tenon Architecture. The idea was to renovate an existing space at the resort but to include a curved wooden structure for guests.

The curved structure consists of over 1,100 different pieces of wood, which were transported to the site and manually organised into 55 modules. These were then hand-carved, shaped, and assembled without any digital fabrication. The result of which was a beautifully unique wooden cave that epitomised simple yet effective wood artistry.

The wooden cave, which can be booked for accommodation, consists of a guest room with two beds, a kitchen, bathroom, and living room with a fireplace. The cave is also divided into two zones – one zone with the continuous wooden structure of spruce timber and knotless pine ply, and the second with dark stone.

Given the area’s temperature fluctuations, much thought also went into how to utilise the wood and stone to its full potential. The wood was offset to the stone to promote airflow, while also regulating the internal temperature and humidity. The stone materials also act as a protector of the interior wood structure.

The finishing touches of this hand-crafted space are exceptional, with striking black fixtures to tie the look together with industrial vibes. Lighting, bedding, and even the kitchen faucets contrast beautifully against the raw wood.

While digital technology has its place, this cave is proof of just how useful age-old techniques and timeless skills can be.